Preview

Oedipus The King Literary Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
869 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Oedipus The King Literary Analysis
In the study of Greek plays, one tries to recreate for an experience, to recapture something of what is meant to those for whom it was written. We know more about the life of Sophocles than we know do about the lives of any other Greek playwright, but this still is not a lot. Sophocles’ work has been said to be the pinnacle of Greek tragedy. Oedipus the King is something like the literary Mona Lisa of ancient Greece. It presents a nightmare vision of a world turned upside down; a decent man, Oedipus, becomes the king of Thebes, whilst in the process unknowingly fulfilling a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. As scholars, we are bound to relate this story through history, to ask what the writer really meant, how …show more content…
Visiting Athens in 427, the Sicilian orator and philosopher, Gorgias, made a sensation by dealing with questions of causality and responsibility, which lay at the heart of Oedipus. A few years later, another orator by the name of Protagoras visited Athens. One of his sayings, “Of all things man is the measure, of the things that are, that they are, and the things that are not, that they are not,” expresses a human-centered, rationalistic speculation that is embodied by the hero in Oedipus. So besides its artistic merit, Oedipus is a major document in one of the most far-reaching intellectual revolutions in Western history. Sometimes called the Fifth-Century enlightenment, this period is marked by a shift from the mythical and symbolic thinking characteristics of archaic poets to a more conceptual and abstract mode of though. According to this new mode, the world operates through non-personal processes that follow predictable, scientific …show more content…
But, as mentioned previously, Sophocles was also an important man in Athenian government, his play demonstrating an overall obedience to the law. In Oedipus the King, for example, although Oedipus cannot escape his fate, nowhere is his rule of Thebes called into question. Oedipus, at first a stranger to Thebes, is accepted as king because he is deemed the noblest among them. “I became a citizen among you, citizens,” reveals that he has been chosen to be king, not out of some divine right, but through some democratic

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Consequently, Oedipus can no longer be called a tyrant, let alone a king, after being humiliated in this way, unable to see or even walk without assistance. His attitude toward Creon also seems dramatically altered when the new king approaches Oedipus, who implores the audience: "Oh no, what can I say to him? How can I ever hope to win his trust? I wronged him so, just now, in every way. You must see that-I was so wrong, so wrong". In this way, Oedipus, who greatly humbles himself before Creon…

    • 90 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus ascended the throne of Thebes; as to many years ago he had solved the riddle of the Sphinx, saved the city of Thebes and was welcomed as King. We see that this quality makes him an excellent ruler who anticipates his subjects’ needs. Taking up the responsibility of being a king by serving the citizens, Oedipus is adequate to the challenge, believing he can purge the land. Oedipus the King is a character that tempts fate, thinks he can change fate as a man who…

    • 714 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    People read literature because it teaches about humanity, both the positives and negatives. Sometimes, they learn more from reading about the mistakes and flaws of characters. Oedipus Rex is one of these characters, flawed even though he thinks he is divine. According to Bernard Knox, “these attributes of divinity – knowledge, certainty, justice – are all qualities Oedipus thought he possessed – and that is why he was the perfect example of the inadequacy of human knowledge, certainty, and justice.” In Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus Rex, Oedipus’s untimely fall is caused by his false certainty of knowledge, his rash actions done without that certainty, and his injustice toward those trying to warn him.…

    • 691 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The story of Oedipus Tyrannus, otherwise known as Oedipus the King or Oedipus Rex, is an Athenian tragedy written by Sophocles; it tells the story of Oedipus, the king of Thebes who is plagued by a self-fulfilled prophecy in which he kills his father Laius and marries his own mother, Jocasta. Not only is it widely recognized as Sophocles’ greatest work, the story of Oedipus has lent its name to what is recognized in the psychological realm today as the Oedipus complex, in which a young child feels “complex emotions” relative to that of unconscious sexual desire toward the parent of the opposite sex. Oedipus as a leader, separate from his web of extremely strange familial encounters, is a point of contention. Oedipus’ role…

    • 1447 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    For example, Oedipus is shown, from the first scene, to be a benevolent ruler. Sophocles builds this idea through dialogue as Oedipus refers to the people of Thebes as “My children” – this paternal image is also noted by critic Victor Ehrenberg when he writes “Oedipus is a good king, a father of his people”. An ethical belief of the Ancient Greeks was that “each individual is interested not only in his own affairs but in the affairs of the city as well” (Pericles) so Sophocles’s conception of character therefore reflects the ethical beliefs of this society. Similarly to Faustus, Oedipus displays intelligence, for example, he is the only person able to solve the sphinx’s riddle. Famously the Ancient Greeks held knowledge and scholarship highly so again Oedipus is demonstrating contemporary ideals. Furthermore the ideal Athenian leader would have been a “man of action”, something Oedipus definitely was. Frequently he is one step ahead (“I sent escorts, twice, within the hour”) therefore fulfilling this notion. However, initially, whilst he is a man of action he does not behave rashly and thinks carefully prior to acting (“groping and labouring over many paths of thought” before making a decision) and therefore is exemplifying still further this notion of the Athenian…

    • 783 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Aristotle once said “A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.” (Aristotle) Aristotle actually had a lot of ideas about heroes, specifically tragic heroes. He defined a tragic hero as an individual of high social standing, whose fatal flaw leads him to be brought low in a reversal of fortunes, which he later recognizes before receiving a fate worse than he truly deserves. One of the most famous characters from a play in the tragedy genre is Oedipus. His tale is one of destiny, hope, and finally sorrow. The question posed, however, is whether or not Oedipus really does fit this model of a tragic hero. Oedipus must be a nobleman and have his own tragic flaw that causes him to experience a reversal of fortunes…

    • 1127 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sophocles, writer of Oedipus the King, compresses the dramatic reveal of the true destiny and origin of birth to Oedipus all in one day. Oedipus’s search for the truth creates a storyline of anticipation and intensity. The play focuses on human weakness, human suffering and man’s inability to change his destiny. Though the audience can see between the lines early on, the knowledge allows them to feel pity for Oedipus as the real revelation of himself is gradually unveiled. In his poems, Aristotle outlined the necessities of a good tragedy exclaiming a tragedy must evoke pity and fear in its viewers. A tragic hero, according to Aristotle, must be a man who is superior to the average man in some way. In Oedipus's…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Tragedy is an imitation not of men but of a life, an action…” (Aristotle). Greek Tragedy was invented five hundred years Before Common Era, and focuses on the actions of characters. These actions emphasize the harsh reality in which the innocent mankind lives in. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is defined as one with great potential, but has a hamartia leading to the ultimate demise of himself. Oedipus’ actions are tragic, as he tries to make the right choice but fails. He was dealt a hand that would only lead him to lose. Furthermore, Sophocles develops Oedipus as a relatable character which allows for catharsis to occur. Aristotle’s, The Poetics, explains the necessary components to create a powerful Tragedy. Oedipus the King is a powerful representation of Aristotle’s ideas on tragedy, so the purpose, protagonist, fall, and plot elements in Oedipus the King demonstrate the concepts of tragedy written in The Poetics.…

    • 1201 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus The King Analysis

    • 1522 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Any great story has its critics ready to critique every great detail of a story. Sophocles’s Oedipus the King is no exemption. Oedipus the King was written around 430 B.C. so this play has had plenty of time to be critiqued. Not only has this Greek tragedy been around for so long, but it is considered a masterpiece; it only makes sense for something very famous to be criticized even more.…

    • 1522 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    * In one of the early Greek tragedies written by Sophocles in 470 BC, ‘Oedipus the King’ demonstrates the arrogance portrayed by human nature which he therefore turns away the obvious truth. This early Greek Myth shows the way in which Oedipus, the King of Thebes, is so arrogant in wanting the truth in regards to the mishaps that shroud his land and so persistent that he is ultimately leading himself into his own demise.…

    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Oedipus: His Tragic Flaw

    • 2482 Words
    • 10 Pages

    It has been said that all tragic heroes possess tragic flaws. Whether this statement applies to Oedipus of “Oedipus” the King, written by Sophocles, is still a matter of much debate even centuries after its debut. If Oedipus bares a “tragic flaw,” then he is a man, and therefore is able to exercise his free will in determining his fate. If, however, Oedipus is a tragic hero without a flaw, then he is said to be a mere “puppet” in his story; no matter what decisions he makes, he is helpless against whichever Supreme Being is working against him. Is Oedipus’ treacherous fate the cause of extenuating circumstances, or is there an invisible force controlling his every whim? As the plot weaves in and out of scenes, what seems apparent at first glance shifts as the opposing view gains merit; what was is no longer, until the next scene when it becomes apparent again. Though there is a clear concise victor in the end, arriving at a definitive conclusion amongst the array of possibilities is a tedious task which involves the step by step examination of each intricate detail.…

    • 2482 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Sophocles' The Three Theban Plays (King Oedipus, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone) are three tragedies depicting a shift beyond the beliefs of predetermination to the liberties of choice. Throughout the plays, the tragic hero, Oedipus unveils the truth behind the murder of his father, King Laius and the penalties that follow; consequently, Sophocles capably applies human characteristics to Oedipus to appeal at a broader spectrum. Sophocles utilizes vibrant imageries throughout these plays that uncover Oedipus’ humanisms. By illustrating Oedipus as a human, Sophocles sheds light on the truth of Oedipus’ inability to control his future. For this reason, Sophocles’ distinction behind Oedipus’ choices from his altercations symbolically show human…

    • 1183 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Greek drama Oedipus is clearly a Aristotle’s tragedy. It definitely meets the five main criteria for a tragedy: a tragic hero of noble birth, a tragic flaw, a hero‘s downfall, a moment of remorse, and a catharsis. Aristotle in his Poetics defines Oedipus as being a definite example of the form and purpose of Aristotelian tragedy. In tragedies the Greeks dramatized climactic events in the lives of heroes, and Oedipus story is no different. By using many different literary devices it brings moral dilemmas of action and motive to the public stage. The action is set out over the timeframe of one day, which will according to the prophet Tiresias will bring Oedipus birth and death.…

    • 628 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Oedipus Tragic Hero

    • 1610 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The classical, universal dramas written in the classical period of Greek history have withstood the test of time. Well know writers have shared views, concerns, laughs and tears with audience after audience. Ranging in styles, writers have worked to bring light to injustice, clarity to the questions of life, and humility to the ones who sit enthroned in society. Greek drama was more than just entertaining, it was also enlightening. A key component of dramas is the idea of “tragic hero”. A tragic hero held the spotlight of the drama to amplify the message of the script. One story that sparked much discussion and interest was Oedipus the King by Sophocles. The story of Oedipus is considered one of the best examples of a “tragic hero”. Greek drama can be better understood in light of understanding how Oedipus in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a strong example of a tragic hero.…

    • 1610 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus is the king of a plague ridden city! The story, Oedipus the King tells an exciting story with dramatic irony. Dramatic Irony is when the reader or audience know an important aspect in the story; however, the character do not know. This literary analysis essay will explain dramatic irony through different symbols, character development, and trying to escape fate.…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays